Wednesday, November 30, 2011

When I need a quick card I usually call my border punches to action. They can transform even the simplest design into something special. I made this card using the papers from Crafting Jewish Style Rosh HaShanah collection. I punched around the green square mat and layered two punched borders on top of the bottom edge of the square. I added a paper flower cut with Lifestyle Crafts dies and a sentiment sticker. Shiny white pearl finished the job. Great way to use up those small scraps left from the Rosh HaShanah layouts.

It is the last day of November. Are you getting ready for Hanukkah? We do! We will have December full Hanukkah posts from our team here on the blog. I am getting excited! See you soon!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

When I was a child, I used to struggle with the relationship between the American holidays and my Jewish identity. I was never quite sure how to think about Thanksgiving. Then, 10 years ago this week, I attended a Bar Mitzvah on Thanksgiving. In the Rabbi's speech, he started by saying that Thanksgiving was the most Jewish of the American holidays. That cleared it up for me. That one little statement is one of the most useful things a Rabbi has ever said to me.

Tomorrow many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving. All over the USA, families get together and celebrate the tradition in their own way, combining American traditions with those of their ancestors. As we gather with relatives for a kosher Thanksgiving, as Jews we struggle (at least in family) with the concept of a pareve dessert. In my family, we believe that dessert should be chocolate and creamy, preferably topped with ice cream. We have no interest in Honey cakes or fruit pies. In addition, half my family needs to eat gluten-free which makes those cakes and pies a serious challenge, definitely not worth the effort.

The first trick to dessert is to buy pareve baking chocolate or chocolate chips. It can be found all year round, although I find it easiest to buy extra at Passover time and store it in a cool spot (but not the refrigerator). Over the years, I have compiled the following short list of pareve chocolate desserts that my family is happy to enjoy:

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate covered strawberries and marshmallows (or other fruit)

Chocolate chip meringues

Since we must wait to eat dairy after meat, but not the other way around, I have come up with another simple solution which is to eat dessert first. A wonderful dairy dessert can be enjoyed at snack time when the guests arrive, and then the turkey and other traditional foods can be enjoyed much later, at a normal dinner time. My children think this is a great idea.

Whether you eat dessert first or last, I want to wish you and your family a happy healthy, delicious, and safe Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Several of us were lucky enough to travel to Israel recently and have been working on our Israel scrapbooks since we returned home.

Rachel created this layout to use as the introduction to the old city section in her album. I love the banner so much I'm going to be lifting it soon.

One part of a trip to Israel is seeing relatives or meeting them for the first time. This was the first time we met many of the younger generation. It was amazing to find out how much we have in common with people who live so far away. I thought the Passover collection matched perfectly with their house, and I really liked the wine-glasses on the paper since we enjoyed learning about their collection of Israeli wines.

Maya used to live in Israel and created this wonderful layout of her family at the Dead Sea. I love the way she placed her banner and her layout design which allows for so many photos.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Hi everyone! It is Cassie here. I just wanted to stop in to share this Thanksgiving card I made with Crafting Jewish Style's Rosh Hashanah line. The colors of the line are perfect for fall and the prints are so versatile that they can be used for almost anything. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year and that you all stay safe, warm and joyful.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Hi! It's Aliza here. I have a little project to share with you. I love little jars, boxes, and containers. I just always have. They are just so cute and pretty that I always want to make things with them. So, I did.

I used papers from the Rosh Hashana line, a matchbox, and a metal tin to create this little besamim box and box of matches. Add a candle and a cup of wine, and you're ready for havdalah.